Silver Shield Security Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  “Okay, so I’ll go set up,” Rusty said, getting to his feet. “I suppose you’ll be coming along to the club?” He quirked an eyebrow.

  There had been no doubt in Nico’s mind that he would be going to the club when they went to retrieve his plans. There was no way in hell he was going to sit in the hotel room twiddling his thumbs when he could be getting back his plans.

  “I’ll be there,” he said shortly.

  “Seeing you there will spook her,” Rusty pointed out.

  Nico nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

  The other man met his gaze and held it for a moment, then he nodded. “’Kay, see you at eighteen hundred hours. We’ll arrange transportation.”

  He walked to the door and pulled it open. Nico was not going to ask about her. He was going to focus on getting his plans back and then moving on with his life.

  “Is Tamika okay?” And he just had to open his mouth and ask, dammit!

  Rusty paused by the door and looked back at him. “She’s good,” he said.

  Great. She was okay. He needed to just leave it there and let the man go. He had fulfilled any moral obligation he had to ask after her. He was not going to ask if she’d said anything about him or if she was as miserable as he was. There was no need for that. He was going to respect her damn wishes even if it killed him. Then Rusty spoke.

  “She’s in her room and I think she might have a headache. She’s got these bad headaches and she won’t let anyone take care of her.” He met Nico’s gaze with a challenging one.

  Nico glanced at his watch. “Yeah, sure. Okay.” He kept his face carefully disinterested. “Guess I’ll be seeing you later then.”

  Rusty shook his head in disgust then walked out of the room. He had interfered as much as he dared. He didn’t want Tamika to kill him. He sure hoped that moron who could not hide how badly he wanted her would pick up on the cues he’d left. He glanced at his own watch. He had less than two hours to get ready.

  After Rusty left, Nico got to work. He called his assistant.

  “Charly, I need a strong pain reliever delivered to Ms. White’s room ASAP.”

  “Is it for a migraine?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “May I also suggest some essential oils?”

  Nico rolled his eyes. “Charly, I’m not in the mood for your new age nonsense.”

  There was a pause.

  “Charly?”

  “I’m here.”

  He sighed. “Okay, fine. Whatever, just send it up.”

  “Great! I’ll send you a mixture. It should be gently massaged to the forehead and temples.”

  Nico liked the idea of that. “Massaged, huh?”

  “Yes, Nico. It relieves the pain pretty fast.”

  “Sure. Thanks, Charly.”

  “Just doing my job, Nico.”

  He snorted and ended the call. Charly—short for Charlotte—Schafer was his executive assistant and his girl Friday. She kept him organized and did not let him get away with things he would have been very glad to get away with, like those dreary board meetings that always drove him crazy. She had been with him since he’d begun the business and was now a shareholder. He’d been scared he would lose her when she had gotten married a year ago, but she’d quickly set him straight.

  He’d been thinking of a shower, but quickly discarded the idea now. He rummaged through the overnight bag he’d packed and picked out a light blue tee. Taking off his shirt, he quickly pulled on the tee shirt, grabbed his keycard and walked out the door.

  His phone rang as he stepped out. It was Charly.

  “Yes?”

  “Might I also suggest a warm lavender-scented bath?”

  “Let me guess, you’re sending that up as well,” he said dryly.

  “Damn straight, sir.”

  He smiled when the line went dead. He had no idea what he would do without the woman. He walked down the hall and stopped a few doors away. He lifted the knocker and knocked on the door. When he waited for a few minutes and there was no response, he knocked again. After several moments, the door was pulled open.

  Tamika turned and walked back into the bedroom, her hand holding her forehead as though her brain was about to fall out unto the thick rug on the floor.

  “Heard you were not feeling so good,” he said after closing the door behind him.

  She moaned in response. She walked to the bed and sat gingerly at the edge, then laid down with her stomach on the bed. Seeing her so helpless like this, tugged at his heartstrings. He sat beside her on the bed and gently ran his fingers through her hair.

  “Does it hurt bad?”

  Her reply was another moan.

  Just then he heard the knocker on the door. “Just a minute,” he said and stood up. He pulled the door open and took the bag that was held out for him with a muttered thanks. Inside the bag, he found everything he needed.

  The suite was exactly like his, so he went to the minibar and picked a bottle of water before going back to find Tamika. She was curled in the fetal position with her knees almost up to her chest. Her eyes were shut tight and he could tell that she was in a lot of pain.

  “Have you taken anything for the pain?”

  “No,” she said in a voice that was barely a whisper.

  “You need to take this.” He took out two pills. He had found a glass on her bedside table, so he emptied the bottle of water into the glass.

  “Can’t. Drowsy.”

  “You don’t want to get drowsy?” he asked.

  She nodded and moaned in agony. Both her hands were now on her head.

  “This won’t make you drowsy. I know you need to be out in a couple of hours.”

  She cracked one eye open. “Promise?”

  “I promise,” he said with a small smile. He hated seeing her in so much pain, but it was sort of nice to do something for her. Tamika was so strong and independent that he knew she would not willingly let anyone take care of her.

  After she’d swallowed the pills, he helped her lay back down again.

  “I’m going to draw up a warm bath for you. Would you like that?”

  She sighed deeply. “No need, Nico,” she said in that near whisper.

  “But will it help you feel better?”

  “Yes,” she said, and he could hear the reluctance in her voice.

  “Fine. Then please, allow me to do this for you.”

  She met his eyes and he saw the sheen of tears in hers. His breath caught. He did not know how to handle a woman crying, if she started crying now, he would be done for.

  “Why?”

  He frowned. “Huh?”

  “Why, Nico? You’re mad at me.”

  He sighed then. “Yes, I’m still pretty much pissed at you.” He gently brushed her hair away from her face. It was the first time he’d seen the dreads loose and she looked so beautiful laying there with her hair spread all around her.

  “I am mad at you, but I can’t stand to see you suffering like this. I … I care what happens to you.” He really did. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and cradle her, keep her safe from anything that wanted to hurt her. Of course, he knew she could keep herself safe, still…

  “Thank you, Nico,” she said.

  “I don’t want your gratitude,” he growled with a frown.

  She tried to smile. “Okay, Nico.”

  “You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?” he said, shaking his head in amusement. “Okay, fine. Let’s get you into that bath, then a massage and you should be on your way to feeling better.

  He stood up from the bed just as she shut her eyes with a sigh. The pain reliever was already taking effect. She was no longer tense with pain and the furrows on her forehead had eased out. Even as he watched, her body began to relax as she fell into a light doze. He decided to let her sleep a bit while he went into the bathroom and ran a bath with the natural organic pure lavender bath salts. He rolled his eyes again. Seriously, Charly was too much at times.

  As he
watched the bath fill up, he asked himself if he was doing this just to get laid. He immediately dismissed the thought. Yes, he wanted very much to have her in his bed. Sleeping next to her had been the most relaxing experience he’d had in a very long time. But it was more than that. He really liked this woman and wanted to take care of her, in any way she would let him. He wasn’t sure where all this was leading or if she would give him a chance, but he would worry about that later. For now, she needed to feel better so that she could be in that nightclub tonight. He had a feeling Tamika would not forgive herself if she was forced to stay back because of a headache.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tamika dressed up in skintight black leather pants, which she paired with a black leather cropped halter top. She slipped on a pair of black-heeled shoes and moved to stand before the mirror. Next she swiped a stick of red lip color over her lips. She wore the large hoop earrings and stood back to stare at herself. All she needed now was a heavy fur coat to complete her ghetto fabulous look. The thought made her smile.

  To make sure she was taken with some respect, she slipped on a diamond bracelet. There. She looked like a girl from the hood who had made good. Before she left the bedroom, she unwrapped a stick of gum and slipped it into her mouth. She took a pose and chewed. Yeah, baby.

  Shaking her head, she picked up her coat, not a fur coat, but a long overcoat that was sure to keep her warm. As she walked to the door, she caught sight of her reflection once more and paused. It wasn’t often she was required to glam up for the job, but it was something she usually just did without giving it much thought. This time around though, she wanted to slay. And she knew the reason for that. Nico Ortega.

  She knew her ass looked damn good and she’d caught him staring at it on more than one occasion. This was sure to get his eyes glued to that part of her anatomy all through the night. Why she wanted him staring at her butt was something she could not honestly answer, especially since she had said repeatedly that she did not want to take things further with him.

  All she could say was that the sex had been phenomenal. But it was more than that. She thought back to the way he had taken care of her just that evening. He had stayed with her, helped her to the bathroom where she’d had a soothing and relaxing bath, then he’d massaged her head and back with some sweet smelling ointment that had immediately flushed the stress out of her system.

  She had seen a side to him that she had no idea existed. He had been gentle and caring. And it had touched something deep inside her soul. Since she’d lost her grandmother, no one had really taken care of her the way he had, not even Kyle. Her husband had seen her as the strong and capable woman she was and she had not given him any indication to the contrary. The migraines had not appeared till five years ago, and she’d learned how to deal with them herself.

  What Nico did for her… She shook her head. He was a nice person, even if he was still an asshole.

  She walked out of the bedroom, through the living room, stopping to pick up her keycard, before stepping out of the suite. She had never stayed in a hotel suite before and she was finding that she really liked the space. Silver Shield was not cheap and they usually sprung for good rooms for their operators; however, a double room was as good as it got. This was definitely Nico Ortega’s doing.

  The door clicked shut behind her and she’d just taken a step when he stepped out of the room a couple of doors away from hers. Her eyes met his and she saw the moment he took in her outfit. His step faltered and he became very still. His eyes traveled from her hair, which she’d packed to the side with a scrunchie, down her body, to her feet and back up again. She felt like he had just undressed her with his eyes and her breasts became heavy in response.

  Slowly, he walked towards her till he was standing in front of her. His eyes were dark and filled with desire, which made the heat curl deep in her stomach.

  “How’s the head?” he asked, his hand going to one of the braids of her locks.

  “It’s much better,” she said, her eyes never leaving his.

  He nodded. “You look ravishing.”

  “Thank you,” she replied in a husky voice.

  What was it about this man that turned her on so quickly? He had not even touched her, not really, and her breath had already turned shallow.

  “Let’s go,” he said and turned towards the elevator.

  “Nico.” He paused and looked back at her. “Thank you.”

  He nodded, his mouth slanting into a half smile. He cocked his head to the side and she walked up to him. They stepped into the elevator, which already had a few people inside. They stood side by side, not speaking and not touching. But when Tamika looked into the mirrored wall in front of them, she found his eyes on her. He noticed her looking and held her gaze.

  At the next floor, a couple of people got out, but even more got in, so that they were force to jostle against each other to be comfortable. This time, Tamika found herself standing in front of Nico and her back was pressed into his front. She saw the flare in his eyes at the same time she felt the hard object pressed up against the top of her ass. She took a sharp breath in as desire pooled between her legs. She tried to move away, but all she did was brush against his erection. She heard his sharp intake of breath and saw his eyed darken further.

  By the time the elevator emptied out a little, she tried to move, but Nico grabbed her and held her there. She lifted an eyebrow.

  “Ah, just give it a minute,” he said in a low voice.

  Somehow, the humor of the situation got to her and she let out a chuckle. His eyes narrowed.

  “Did you just laugh at me?”

  Tamika shook her head, even though she knew he could see her eyes brimming over with humor.

  “This is all your fault,” he groused into her ear.

  She gave him a yeah right look in the mirror, there was no way he was pinning this on her. But before she could say anything else, the elevator came to a stop at the ground floor.

  “You okay to get out?” She turned to ask him.

  “Sure,” he said casually, but his eyes promised retribution.

  They met up with Rusty and another operator at the lobby.

  “Hey, how’s the head?” he asked Tamika.

  “Much better,” she said.

  He shifted his gaze to Nico and nodded. Something passed between both men, Tamika was not sure what it was and she concluded that she would be better off not knowing. She shrugged into her coat and slung her purse over her shoulder. She pressed on the leather body of the purse and felt the reassuring hardness of her firearm.

  “Let’s move,” Rusty said.

  With a nod, they walked out of the hotel. There was a black SUV waiting for them at the front entrance of the hotel. She recognized the driver.

  “Hey, Pete, what’s up?”

  “Tamika, baby, how are things?”

  “Nothing much, just kickin’ it.”

  “Yeah, heard you been chillin’ at a tropical island,” Pete said with a grin.

  Tamika slipped into the car with a smile. “Hey now, I don’t want any sass from you or I’ll be calling Maya.”

  Maya was Pete’s wife and even though the woman weighed less than half his weight and was just an inch over five feet, she had the giant wrapped around her little finger. Tamika had seen the woman get mad at him once and how helpless he’d been.

  Pete laughed as he fired up the engine. “Ah, you know my weakness and you’re mean enough to use it,” he said, shaking his head sadly.

  “Yeah, dude, and don’t you forget it.”

  “You break my heart,” he murmured, then laughed. “Okay. We have all you need here. Rae is on the subject’s trail.” His voice had turned businesslike.

  Their phones buzzed. Tamika stared at hers, it was Rae reporting that Chicha was leaving for the nightclub. Her ETA was thirty minutes. That was enough time for them to get in and position themselves. She felt the hum of adrenaline that always accompanied any mission. This one seemed straight
forward enough, but she’d learned over time that it was the ones that looked so simple that often went wrong. So she was as psyched up as though she were going into a hostage situation.

  “Are you nervous?”

  She glanced at Nico, who was sitting beside her. Was she nervous? She carefully considered the question. Her heartbeat was faster than usual, she was tense and alert, ready for anything and everything. But did that mean she was nervous? She didn’t think so.

  “Not really, though I am a bit tense,” she replied honestly.

  “This is a straightforward case, isn’t it? We’ll get in there, grab the plans and get out.”

  Tamika did not know how to answer him. Such a case was an operator’s prayer, unless that operator was Ace or Drew, two of her teammates. Those two loved the danger and risk. Actually, if she was being honest, they all loved the element of risk. But that was not the only reason she was suddenly feeling forlorn about the possibility that the case could very well be over that night. If they retrieved the plans that night, it meant that she and Nico would go their separate ways. They might never see each other again. She sucked in her breath at the sudden ache deep in her heart. Why did she ache at the thought of not seeing him again?

  “You should put on your shoulder holster,” Rusty said from the front passenger’s seat. “It’s in the back seat.”

  His voice brought her out of her reverie. She was thankful. She did not want to think about her feelings for Nico or the fact that it sounded ridiculous to say that she had feelings for him after such a short time. Whatever was wrong with her, she was not going to think about it now. She needed to focus.

  “Sure, thanks,” she said loud enough for Rusty to hear, then turned to face Nico. “We hope that all goes well today, but it’s best to be prepared for anything.”

  She turned away and shrugged off her coat. Then slipped off her seat belt and reached for the shoulder holster that was on the seat behind hers, then settled back on her seat.

  “So, after today, this could be goodbye?”

  Tamika paused with the holster halfway on. Her chest was suddenly tight and she could not explain the feeling of desolation that washed over her. She shook her head at a loss for what to say. She lifted her eyes to his and even in the darkness, she saw the sadness in them. She opened her mouth to say something, but could not find the words to explain how she was feeling. She was saved from that when the vehicle suddenly came to a stop.